McDull, The Alumni (DTS Version) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All

Unfortunately then, it must be said that McDull: The Alumni is a very uneven affair. The bits that work do so fantastically well, others are entirely cold. This situation could very well be at least in part because this is my first exposure to the character, as well as a matter of cultural translation. The films have all been known for their softly satiric skewering of Hong Kong society, but it frankly feels like no more than a simple case of third film fatigue.

While previous McDull films were rooted purely in the world of the Flower of the Spring Field Kindergarten, McDull: The Alumni splits its time between animated kindergarten sequences and live action, post-college graduation sequences with live stars standing in for their animated counterparts. The film takes an episodic approach, working through little vignettes that sometimes aim for nothing more than a laugh, while others try to teach, chide, or simply observe life. The back and forth allows for a degree of absurdity put to excellent use throughout, while also allowing some very silly, but also very relevant, critiques of the pressures of Hong Kong society.

One of the film's most telling moments on the social critique front intercuts sequences of the animated kindergartners - McDull the pig is joined by a duck, a turtle and a cow among others - in an English class reciting "I will be a doctor. I will be a lawyer. I will be a CEO." with post-grad sequences of one of them happily taking on his dream job removing bones from chicken feet, another following her lifelong dream of becoming a sucker saleswoman, another looking for a job scooping rice. It's a brilliant little piece, light and fluffy enough to generate easy laughs while also providing solid grist to chew on. Are the filmmakers saying we heap too much pressure on our children, pushing them constantly for material success when they'd be happier doing something simpler? Are they saying that CEOs are no more important than chicken de-boners? Are they suggesting that the pressure we put on ourselves to succeed does nothing more than make us appear foolish? All are possible, all are valid, and this is the great strength of McDull, it has a depth well beyond what you would expect to find in a piece of work apparently targeted at small children.

Other sequences are praise worthy simply for their loony sense of fun. Award winning cinematographer Christopher Doyle's unexpected appearance as a grimy butcher is a treat; the urine joke that leads the film off had both my boy and I in stitches. The hostage taking sequence - I'm fairly certain Daniel Wu is one of the hostage takers - where dieting office girls are forced to order takeout at gunpoint - is inspired madness.

Unfortunately there just doesn't seem to be quite enough inspiration to go around. Too many sequences lag and while there's always a fighting chance that the next will be better you are, nonetheless, left with the feeling that an opportunity has been somewhat missed, that this should be much better than it is. McDull: The Alumni includes enough magic that I can see pretty easily why people speak so highly of the previous films, but this one in particular will likely be of interest mostly to established fans. As for me, I'll be heading back to check out the originals.

Review By Todd Brown - Twitchfilm.net